Contact: Tony Clatworthy, tel 01489 576387

email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report summarises the activities and events on the river from 17 December 2003 to date. It also briefs Members of progress with various projects being undertaken.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 The report supports Aims 1 to 5 of the Corporate Strategy (Maximising Life Opportunities, Stewardship of the Environment, Achieving Economic Prosperity, Building Strong and Safe Communities, and Improving Services) by contributing to the statutory duties entailed in the management of the River Hamble.

3. Report

3.1 The river has been patrolled daily by the duty staff from 0700 hours through to 1830 hours. From 1 May the Harbour Office commenced the summer routine and was manned from 0600 hours through to 2200 hours. The Harbour Authority has employed three seasonal coxswains to enable full on-the-water cover within the Health and Safety regulations. The Harbour staff have responded to a number of incidents throughout the period and those of note are reported below. A full record of responses carried out by Harbour Patrols from August 2003 until April 2004, also a comparison of responses recorded in August 2001, 2002 and 2003 is attached as Appendix 1.

4. Incidents

Early January

4.1 An established large oak tree was uprooted and fell into the river, blocking the channel to Curbridge. The National Trust, the land owners, cut away and removed the complete tree under the instructions of the Assistant Harbour Master (Environment).

8 January

4.2 During wind speeds of 60 knots pile H18 broke away; the pile broke below water level. Three vessels and pontoons removed, no damage to vessels.

15 January

4.3 Seven boats were broken into on midstream moorings and various items stolen. One tender and one outboard were stolen.

4.4 At 1845 hours with wind at force 8 from the south-west a yacht `Hunter Duet' was found pounding against the Warsash Sailing Club jetty. The warden at the Southampton Institute was immediately informed as the boat belonged to the Institute. The Harbour Patrol Officer then put a line around the mast working from the jetty and transferred that to the beach; the boat was then secured and pulled away from the jetty. Staff from the Institute arrived and helped to secure the vessel. The vessel was removed at the first opportunity on 20 January when it was found to have a broken rising chain.

19 February

4.5 During the afternoon the patrol responded to the report of a fire on the river sighted from Universal Boatyard. It was discovered that the top two metres of pile J3 had caught fire and burnt off with the loss of the navigation light and fittings. The fire was started by smouldering material left by the contractor carrying out pile maintenance. The pile has been re-driven and the light replaced at no cost to the harbour authority.

6 March

4.6 The patrol discovered that vandals had destroyed all the `vandal-proof' lights on Hamble Jetty. This was a concerted attack and must have taken place over a lengthy time due to the extensive degree of damage. Some light units had been ripped from the mountings and thrown into the water. The navigation light on the jetty had also been attacked. The jetty was made safe and replacement fittings are being organised. The Harbour Master has written a letter to the Police Inspector of Hedge End Police Station requesting attention be given to the jetty and advising him of the constant problem of vandalism at Hamble. On the same evening a number of dinghies were damaged in the Parish Council's dinghy park. The lights have now been replaced. Owing to the angle and density of the light beams, helmsmen are being dazzled as they approach at night. This problem is being attended to as soon as possible with a modification to the light density and shaded beams. The total light pollution from the jetty will be reduced to a minimum.

14 March

4.7 A yacht fouled the fore and aft moorings downstream from Hamble jetty. A diver was required to assist in recovering the vessel and repairs were required to the moorings.

4.8 A vessel was reported to be having difficulties in departing from the maintenance piles at Warsash. The patrol assisted by towing the vessel into the main fairway.

24 April

4.9 An incident involving dinghies from Warsash Sailing Club (WSC) took place on Saturday. A race was organised in the main channel and the WSC failed to contact the Harbour Office under the terms of the Code of Practice. A danger was caused to traffic in the main channel, which was very busy at this time. The problem has now been resolved and improved lines of communication have now been established to overcome any such future problems that may occur.

Note: The Code of Practice has been fully operational for the whole of last year and has proved an excellent tool to overcome masses of paperwork and increase safety on the river. The Code is a living document that is constantly being revised.

3 May

4.10 The yacht Tormentor was found to be down by the head at its moorings. The vessel was taking in water fast from an unidentifiable location so it was decided to move the vessel to the Warsash maintenance piles for safety. The owner was contacted and the vessel secured to the maintenance piles by the Harbour Patrol. Hamble Rescue attended and pumped out the vessel.

5. River Hamble Port Marine Safety Code - Audit Report

5.1 A full audit of the Port Marine Safety Code took place on 26 January 2004 by the designated person. The Harbour Authority was found to be complying and operating safely within the Port Marine Safety Code.

6. Fishing Boats Jetty

6.1 A report will go to the River Hamble Executive Member's Group in July regarding the possibility of establishing a Fishing Boat Jetty at Warsash. The jetty will be used to enable commercial fishing vessels to safely unload their catches direct to the hard at Warsash. It will reduce the risks to the operators and other river users during the current system of transferring by tenders. Funding for the build will come from the European Community and other funds available as grants within Hampshire County Council. The ongoing maintenance cost budget will be established from fees recovered from the users of the jetty.

7. Boat Count and Allocation

7.1 Following a boat count that the Harbour Authority carried out in 2003 using the total metreage of the river, as used in the assessment of Harbour Dues, a further count of vessel moorings has now been completed by the Harbour Authority using an aerial photograph of the river.

7.2 It is acknowledged that the photographic run was completed early in 2000. Notwithstanding the date of the photographic run the information obtained remains relevant as the areas required to be counted have not changed since that date.

7.3 The series of photographs were used to ascertain how many vessels are moored in marinas, boatyards and other alongside moorings. With the known figure of other moorings, such as those at mid-stream, a total number of moorings has been calculated.

7.4 The Harbour Authority is currently negotiating for a corporate air photograph that may be taken at a more relevant time, such as late September, early October or early May. The Crown Estate has indicated its interest in having a new air photograph taken and may be willing to contribute towards the cost.

7.5 The moorings limit that was set by the Local Plan is 3,261, and 2,959 moorings are counted in the photographs. The dry sailing boats (Keel Boats), dinghies and houseboats have not been included within that figure. The figures for the boat count are attached as Appendix 2.

7.6 Regarding the allocation of any spare moorings capacity that may be available to river users, the Harbour Authority would recommend to the Crown Estate a policy of allocating 50% to commercial operators, 25% to yacht clubs and 25% to private mooring holders. This allocation would only be confirmed once full consultation with other parties had been completed and a rigorous and full consents process had taken place.

8. Oil Boom Containment Deployment 6 April and 2 June 2004

8.1 This deployment was carried out by Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) as a training exercise, and to experiment with a new configuration and a different east bank anchorage point.

8.2 After successfully unreeling and inflating the boom, the team was unable to position it at the intended location and the exercise was aborted.

8.3 A meeting was held in the Harbour Office on 27 April to discuss the way ahead and methods of overcoming the problems encountered during the last exercise. Another exercise will be held on Tuesday 2 June 2004 to confirm the new methods and configuration that OSRL aims to try. The


exercise will not incur further costs to the Harbour Authority. A full verbal report will be given at the meeting following the deployment that will now take place on 2 June.

9. Closed Circuit Television

9.1 The contract for the closed circuit television installation has now been awarded and the works programme is hoped to be completed by late July.

10. Solent School of Yachting

10.1 The Treasurer's Consultants from Hampshire County Council Professional Services were commissioned to appraise the options regarding the future development and use of:

(i) the Visitors' Centre leased site;

(ii) the Harbour Master's Jetty; and

(iii) the Visitors' Pontoons for options which are interrelated with the Visitors' Centre site and the Harbour Master's Jetty.

10.2 Following completion of the appraisal a strategy was devised to secure any requirements that the Harbour Authority may need to complete its operational and statutory duties. Hampshire County Council has declared that a portion of the site is now surplus to requirements and a team led by the head of Hampshire County Council's Estate Practices is currently in negotiation with various parties regarding assigning the lease.

11. Boat Scrubber

11.1 The boat scrubber facility will be installed and operational by mid-June 2004. The location of the unit will be on the eastern side of the main channel upstream of the visitors' piles. Similar units are, or have been, installed in Gosport, Port Solent and Brighton marinas. The unit will clean the hull of the vessel with a similar action to that of a car wash. A hull treatment that applies a hard smooth ceramic-type coating lasting up to five years may also be applied, making it easier and environmentally safer to clean the hull.

12. River Hamble Visiting Yachts Survey 2003

12.1 From July to September 2003 Tourism South East Research Service undertook a Visiting Yachts Survey on behalf of the River Hamble Harbour Authority and Hampshire County Council. The aim of the survey was to help inform the Harbour Authority and the County Council about the relative importance of the river as a destination and the need for moorings and berths for visitors, and also help inform decisions about type and location of moorings and visitors' facilities on the river. The final report has now been produced and is soon to be available on the Harbour Authority website.

12.2 Of the 1,581 questionnaires distributed to boat owners via participating sailing clubs in the Solent area, 339 responses were received. The following summarises some of the main findings.

12.3 When asked where they would most likely stop on a passage from Yarmouth to Portsmouth, or vice versa, only 22% of respondents would choose the River Hamble, compared with 82% preferring Cowes.

12.4 The majority of respondents (89%) had visited the River Hamble before and the majority of these visits, 42%, were for a cruising weekend or holiday trip. The survey showed that where the vessel originates from affects the length of time vessels visit; the further away the home port the longer vessels are likely to stay.

12.5 When visiting the river the majority of respondents (82%) moor in marinas and 51% of these respondents would consider altering their mooring site if a taxi service was available. (NB The Hamble to Warsash Ferry service is currently running and extending this service.) When given the choice between mooring in Hamble or Warsash 70% of respondents chose Hamble.

12.6 The main facilities of interest in a visitor centre to those who responded are toilets and showers, 90% and 88% respectively, with navigational and weather information being the next most important at 77%.

12.7 It is encouraging to note that 71.5% of respondents would recommend the River Hamble as a short stay destination, and when asked what improvements would encourage them to visit more often the top two responses were more shore-side visitor berths in Hamble and Warsash respectively.

13. The Railway and Transport Safety Act 2003

13.1 This Act entitles the Harbour Master or an assistant of the Harbour Master to detain a vessel until a uniformed constable attends, if there is reasonable suspicion that the professional master's or seaman's ability to carry out his duties is impaired because of drink or drugs. At present this only applies to professionals, ie those in the course of their business or employment, but the Act may also apply to non-professionals if legislation is introduced after the current ongoing consultation process.

13.2 Appropriate staff briefings and training will be organised with the Marine Police Unit. Investigations are currently underway to ascertain the Harbour Authority's duties, powers and liabilities under the Act. The River Hamble Port Marine Safety Code will be amended on completion of these investigations. Copies of the Act may be seen at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/20030020.htm. Further explanations of the Act can be seen from the Department for Transport press release at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_
id=2004_0032.

13.3 The Government is now proceeding with the process of forming legislation, currently at the consultation stage, to deal with the non-professional or recreational boating public and the drinking and sailing laws. A link to the consultation document for recreation alcohol limits is at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_shipping/documents/page/dft
_shipping_028069.hcsp.

14. Warsash Improvement Plan

14.1 Following the meeting of the Warsash Improvement Plan Working Group held on 12 November 2003, at which the basic components of a draft coordinated plan were agreed, work has been carried out to develop the individual components, and discussions have been held with the regulatory authorities at the Streamlined Consents meetings.

14.2 The Group met again on 16 March 2004, proposals for improvements at Stone Pier Yard were discussed, and it was felt that any concerns raised by other parties could be addressed. However, Warsash Sailing Club's proposal for a substantial jetty extension would be strongly resisted by the Borough Council because it would extend into a `moorings restriction area'.

14.3 The Crown Estate proposal to relocate and upgrade the A and B piles was to be deferred until the piles required replacing, and because the preferred new location for the B piles would be opposed by the Borough Council.

14.4 The options for the upgrading and extending of the Harbour Authority's jetty at Warsash were still under consideration. Consequently, it was agreed by all stakeholders that the Stone Pier Yard proposals should be progressed independently and in advance of the other components of the scheme, and they have since been submitted for the range of consents required.

14.5 Marina Developments Limited Hamble Point Marina's proposals to extend the marina by one mooring at each pier head was also agreed by all stakeholders and will be processed independently through the consents system.

14.6 Having the Streamlined Consents Group available for comments and for those who are planning ventures enabled the process to move forward very quickly.

15. Planning Consent Charges

15.1 The Harbour Authority is investigating an increase to the charges currently raised for completing the consents process. Applications for a works or dredging licence and investigations into navigational safety take up considerable time and Members may also consider it unreasonable that harbour users in general should bear the costs of considering applications to develop/dredge, etc. The charges for this service have not been amended since June 1994. The charges levied for other work carried out by the authority will also be the subject of a combined report that will go to the Executive Member's Group in July 2004.

16. River Hamble Dredging Plan

16.1 Phase 1 of the River Hamble Dredging Plan has been completed and at the Steering Group meeting of 30 March 2004 it was decided to move to Phase 2. Once agreement has been received by all involved a works order for Phase 2 will be submitted by the Harbour Office to ABPmer.

17. River Hamble Estuary Management Plan Implementation Forum

17.1 Following on from the publishing of the Estuary Management Plan (EMP) in 2003, the core members agreed an Implementation Forum should be set up to ensure the implementation of the EMP on the river. To date there have been two meetings of the River Hamble Estuary Management Plan Implementation Forum (RH EMP IF) since the EMP was published in 2003. The first was held on 24 October 2003 and the second on 30 March 2004. Two of the main outcomes from these meetings, relevant to the Committee, are outlined below.

17.2 Attached as Appendix 3 is a status report for the RH EMP IF which further outlines the role and future proposals of the group, written by Dr Steve Fletcher, the independent chairman of the Forum. Dr Fletcher is the Principal Lecturer at the School of Maritime and Coastal Studies, Southampton Institute.

18. Hamble Estuary Management Plan Student Research Fund

18.1 The RH EMP IF has set up the Hamble Estuary Management Plan Student Research Fund, the purpose of which is to support applied research concerning the Hamble Estuary that contributes to the implementation of the EMP and/or informs enhanced management practices.

18.2 The fund is widely supported in the Forum and has been contributed to by members of the Forum in many ways, some offering time and equipment, others money or data. The Student Research Fund was launched on 10 March 2004. The launch was attended by invited members from local universities, and some members of the Implementation Forum. The Harbour Office is managing the fund, and providing administrative support.

18.3 It should be noted that this fund appears to be the only one of its type operating in the country.

19. M27 Bridge

19.1 As a result of the meeting of the RH EMP IF on 24 October 2003, the Assistant Harbour Master (Environment) wrote to Joe Stevens of English Nature expressing the growing concern about the M27 and its run-off, forwarding the correspondence received on the matter by the Harbour Office. Joe Stevens contacted the Highways Agency forwarding the concerns and received a response outlining its position.

19.2 In summary the Highways Agency has commissioned its agent to carry out the River Hamble Pollution Investigation Study to identify outfalls posing a pollution risk. Once they have been identified, subject to the availability of the necessary funds, the outfalls will be dealt with on a priority basis. The investigation is still ongoing and soon to be reported on.

20. Water Taxi

20.1 The Hamble and Warsash Ferry operator, which is also responsible for running the water taxi service, will be extending its working hours during July and August. The Water Taxi will now be available until 11.00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

21. Pile Replacement and Maintenance

21.1 The Crown Estate is continuing with its annual programme of maintenance to all its mooring piles. This has been achieved by a rolling inspection programme with a maintenance period during the winter months. The maintenance period takes place during the winter so as not to disrupt too many mooring holders. The maintenance is being grouped into specific areas rather than `cherry pick' around the river, again to minimise disruption.

21.2 Ten piles have been replaced by the Crown Estate following its survey programme and this process will be a continuous one.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

8801/TC

APPENDIX 1

RESPONSES TO INCIDENTS August 2003 through to April 2004

RESPONSES TO INCIDENTS August 2001, 2002 and 2003

APPENDIX 2

Moorings Count Taken from an Aerial Photograph

a. Column (a) The count of vessels seen in marinas and boatyards taken from an air-photograph that was flown late 1999. Vessels and spaces have been counted. Where a vessel was not on its moorings the space/mooring was counted. On continuous pontooning the average type/length of vessel in place was taken as the average size and counted, fitted into the spaces on that pontoon. Tenders and other small boats of that type have not been counted or included within the "boat count".

b. Column (b) Known number of vessels/moorings mid-stream. Taken from Harbour office records and Crown Estate commercial operators' records.

c. Column (c) Completed with the aid of a questionnaire sent to all commercial operators and yacht clubs on the river. A large percentage of operators failed to respond.

d. Column (d) Totals of vessels afloat by metreage and using an 11 metre boat as average.

e. Column (e) Dry sailing vessels. The given figure is total that would be launched on average most weekends.

f. Column (f) Houseboats/as these boats do not move not counted within the number of boats on the river.

g. Column (g) Reported number of dinghies held in club pounds. The figure given by Swanwick Marina would be tenders and similar boats. Other marinas would also have dinghies/tenders but have not reported as such. Also not counted are the free launching of small vessels from public slipways.

h. Column (b/1) Lengths of continuous pontoons in metres that will allow a variation of boat size depending on demand. Continuous pontooning of more than 30 metres in length has been totalled for each yard. The total figure for that yard, yacht club or marina appears in this column. Continuous pontooning of this type allows variations in the size of vessels depending on demand. As an example taking the total length of 5,785 and changing from an average boat length of 10 metres to 13 metres would give a loss of 133 boats. Admittedly this is not very accurate but it illustrates how these moorings are able to take variations in vessel sizes.

3,261 (moorings river limit) - 2,959 (moorings actual) = 302

Notes:

The dry sailing boats (Keel Boats), dinghies and houseboats have not been included within the total figure of 2,959

APPENDIX 3

STATUS REPORT

THE RIVER HAMBLE ESTUARY MANAGEMENT PLAN

IMPLEMENTATION FORUM

May 2004

Introduction

This report is intended to provide a brief overview of the process that lead to the development of the River Hamble Estuary Management Plan and the subsequent establishment of the River Hamble Estuary Management Plan Implementation Forum, which to oversee the implementation of the Estuary Management Plan.

Rationale for the Estuary Management Plan

The River Hamble is a complex area to manage, largely as a result of the wide range of activities that take place along the river and its hinterland. Numerous organisations have a responsibility or interest in how the river is managed. These organisations are commonly involved in the management of specific sectors, including: navigational safety, nature conservation, water quality, tourism, water-based recreation, marine and terrestrial heritage, town and country planning, transport planning, and so on. In order to co-ordinate the activities of each of these sectors and therefore enhance the overall management of the river, the River Hamble Harbour Authority (RHHA) initiated the development of an Estuary Management Plan (EMP) on behalf of all river stakeholders.

The River Hamble Estuary Management Plan 2003-08

EMPs are a common device used by groups of stakeholders around the UK coast (there are around 50 similar coastal partnerships) to decide on collective priorities for an area and to develop a pattern of working that respects the notion that co-ordinated working is better than working in isolation. The River Hamble EMP was developed with the active participation of local and regional stakeholders, with all policies and actions subjected to rigorous consultation. The EMP document was launched in early 2003, but represented an iterative development process of over two years. The EMP was formally adopted by the RHHA and has the support of all other key organisations with an interest in the river.

It is important to appreciate that the EMP is a non-statutory document. The policies and actions it contains can only be delivered if those groups who signed up to the plan follow-through on their commitments. This is both the key strength and weakness of the EMP. The weakness is that there is no way to enforce the implementation of the policies within the plan. However, the strength is that having gone through the participatory process to develop the plan, the plan is `owned' by all stakeholders and is an expression of collective management priorities for the river. Experience suggests that this commitment provides a strong impetus to implement the plan, perhaps more than a more formal structure might.

The River Hamble Estuary Management Plan Implementation Forum (RHEMPIF)

In order to facilitate and monitor the implementation of the EMP the RHEMPIF was formed in 2003 at the suggestion of the core group that oversaw the development of the EMP. I was invited to continue in the role of Chairperson, on the basis that an independent chairperson could credibly lead discussions without being compromised by a perceived personal agenda. A second role of the RHEMPIF is to provide an ongoing forum in which representatives of all key River stakeholders can raise management issues that have arisen since the publication of the EMP and exchange information. The RHEMPIF meets approximately every 6 months and is administered by a RHHA officer. The group has no power and very limited resources, but the aspiration to coordinate management activity and develop mutually supportive initiatives is supported by key statutory and non-statutory groups.

The RHEMPIF is currently developing a range of initiatives that are seeking to coordinate management effort around the river. Two notable examples are: 1) the establishment of a sub-group to coordinate the development of educational materials related to the river; and 2) the development of a Student Research Fund to encourage local universities and their students to take more of an active role in providing research to underpin the policies of the EMP or to inform enhanced management practices. The existence of enhanced connections to the local university network is a great potential source of advice and research experience for any stakeholder who may want a specific research project undertaken. The Hamble Student Research Fund is thought to be unique in the UK and will shortly be included in a national good practice listing of coastal management activity.

Future plans

The public identity of the RHEMPIF

A common misperception of the RHEMPIF is that it is a sub-committee of the RHHA or Hampshire County Council. This perception is potentially problematic as all bodies participate in the Forum as equal partners and the view that one organisation holds more sway than any other could destabilise the excellent working relationships that currently exist. The equal partner basis can be maintained despite the clear disparity of resources and responsibility between many organisations involved because all partners have had an input to the EMP and all partners recognise that they cannot achieve their aims in isolation.

In order to develop further the sense of identity of the Forum and to offer a public face that is not confusing, a proposal was discussed at the last meeting of the RHEMPIF to develop a logo and potentially establish a specific website. Neither of these developments would be unusual in terms of how similar groups operate elsewhere in the UK who face similar working problems. The group approved that these ideas should be investigated further.

Funding to implement the EMP

A second important proposal discussed at the most recent meeting of the RHEMPIF is for the group to actively seek to draw in funding from external sources to assist in the implementation of the EMP. Members of the Forum were very supportive of this proposal, especially since the Forum would be an attractive applicant to funding bodies due to the broad range of interests and mix of organisational types the Forum contains. Any funding bid would be subject to the approval of all key stakeholder groups, obviously including the RHHA and Hampshire County Council. Again, the Forum approved that this could be investigated further.

Bunny Meadows

Finally, a key issue to emerge as an area of concern at the two most recent RHEMPIF meetings, and also features in the EMP, is the management challenge that the Bunny Meadows area presents to a range of bodies. It was felt by members of the Forum that a collective approach to the management of that area is needed, although it was recognised that at this point in time our understanding of the coastal processes and any existing plans for the area are unclear. It was therefore agreed that the Hampshire County Council Coastal Manager should be invited to the next RHEMPIF meeting in order to discuss these issues.

Summary

The RHEMPIF has been formed for just over a year and it is successfully maintaining the partnership approach to the holistic management of the River Hamble that emerged through the process to develop the EMP. The Forum has taken the lead in providing a coordinated approach to education provision and in the development of a research network with local universities. It also plays a key role in sharing information amongst bodies with an interest in the River. However, there are significant challenges ahead for the group. These include cementing the identity of the Forum as a neutral group that facilitates coordinated management efforts and how to secure the funding required to fully implement the EMP.

May I take this opportunity to thank the staff of the RHHA (particularly Emma Beagley and Tony Clatworthy) for providing ongoing advice and support to the Forum, and also for participating in the Forum with a sense of equality and cooperation.

Dr Steve Fletcher

Principal Lecturer

School of Maritime and Coastal Studies,

Southampton Institute, East Park Terrace,

Southampton SO14 0YN

Tel: 023 8031 9749

[email protected]